This leads to people having all sorts of opinions about the situation -- some of which are based on facts -- but others which are adamantly stated but factually wrong (sigh, my favorite combination!).
For instance, we commonly hear people demanding to know why our tax dollars are subsidizing the post office, and declaring that the USPO "is an expensive and bloated relic that should be replaced by competitive private business" (as someone posted on one of my threads).
Except both of these assertions just aren't true. We need to see the facts accurately in order to understand which changes are helpful and which ones are harmful. Through that, we can help keep the USPO as a key institution in our society, economy, and democracy.
So what are the key facts that I think we all need to know about the USPO today?
1) Our tax dollars don't subsidize the USPO. It's funded by its own operations. Did you know that? Spread the word!
2) The main reason for the USPO deficit isn't its structure or operations. It's a 2006 Congressional mandate that forces the USPO to pre-fund employee benefits in a way that's not standard in either business or government. Even the employees don't want it.
Without this element, the USPO would be running at a SURPLUS! Wow, that's a big difference in this picture.
Additionally, the USPO is being forced to get this money together in such a short time period that it's literally being shoved into red ink. Plus, this is happening just when it's also having to deal with major changes in its market being caused by people's shift to email and other online activities.
In order to meet this Congressional mandate, the USPO is having to drastically cut key part of its operations. This in turn harms its ability to serve the public and make a profit.
Thus this one change is causing real harm to one of our key public institutions!
3) The survival of the post office does matter. I think that having a public post office is just as important as having public schools, roads, and libraries. These are key components of a free and democratic society. They allow informed public participation in community life, including government. They support our shared economy. They enable fairness. If these functions became accessible only by the rich elites, our society would become even more imbalanced than it is. To understand what I mean, just look at how much a private carrier will charge you to send one letter. $10?! Can you see what an impact that would have on so many things?
4) The post office can "compete" and succeed in this changing world, if given a fair chance to do so. Though it's moving fewer letters, it is shipping more packages. And online shopping is leading to lots of demand for shipping packages!
In fact, I think that this was the thinking behind the USPO's recent deal with Amazon, which will have it test the idea of delivering Amazon packages on Sunday in a few large cities. This brings together one of the USPO's unique assets, wide access, with the potential of Amazon's volume. The USPO won't add staff to do this, just offer current staff flexible schedules.
Now, I don't know if it's the right solution. But it does seem creative and responsive to current market conditions. Isn't that what we want to see from our post office?
Because when I see a clearly false information circulating that undermines a government institution -- followed by an argument to privatize that government function -- my spidey senses raise the alert that there's likely a Fox News Right Wing corporate-funded misinformation campaign operating underneath. Because they do love their "all roads lead to privatization -- drown government in a bathtub" story.
And I just don't think these types of negative comments about the USPO would come from an objective analysis or a desire to support consumers and democracy.
So, if we don't want covert elite interests to strip away the structures of our democracy, like the USPO, it's up to us as citizens to think critically about the information that we hear and read, see through the partisan fog, and decide if want to empower or challenge their covert agenda. We need to see if what they say matches the facts and really serves us in the big picture.
If we don't do this, then we citizens and democracy-aspirants will find ourselves without the structures and services that we and our democracy need most.
Now I know that our democracy isn't all we want it to be. But then let's act to strengthen its democratic aspects. Let's not let cynicism and Machievellian dynamics take away the democratic structures that previous generations have developed and passed along to us. Let's protect and build on what our ancestors have created!
TAKE ACTION
Here are petitions you can sign and groups you can support.
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/congress-repeal-paea?mailing_id=16802&source=s.icn.em.cr&%3Br_by=8633277&r_by=6960246
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/save-our-post-office?mailing_id=16830&source=s.icn.em.cr&r_by=6960246
https://www.facebook.com/saveourpostoffice
FOR MORE INFORMATION
I encourage folks to get the facts on this important topic.
* For instance, take a look at this article by the Center for Economic Policy and Research, "Background on the $15.9 Billion Loss by the Postal Service"
http://www.cepr.net/index.php/blogs/beat-the-press/background-on-the-159-billion-loss-by-the-postal-service
* Also, check out the article, "Thanks To Congressional Incompetence, Saturday Mail Delivery Is History," by Annie-Rose Strasser for ThinkProgress. It says: "The USPS doesn’t actually receive money from the government, but still needs Congressional approval to make any changes to its structure. An analysis in July showed that the USPS, without its benefit requirement, would have a $1.5 billion surplus."
It adds, "Postal access is, ultimately, a rights issue for rural Americans; since they live in areas where internet coverage is inconsistent, post office closures and slowed-down delivery can mean big limitations on communication. A lack of access to postal services can lead to a growth in economic inequality." And compromise democratic participation.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/02/06/1547551/postal-service-saturday-delivery/
* You might also want to read this more in-depth Esquire article, "Do We Really Want to Live Without the Post Office?" For instance, author Jesse Lichtenstein says: "The postal service is not a federal agency. It does not cost taxpayers a dollar. It loses money only because Congress mandates that it do so. What it is is a miracle of high technology and human touch. It's what binds us together as a country."
http://www.esquire.com/features/post-office-business-trouble-0213
* I also encourage you to learn how our media can covertly manipulate how we as citizens and consumers think about the key issues in our lives -- to our detriment and others' unfair benefit. By learning their methods, we become more able to antidote these false arguments in our own minds and disprove them to others. For an excellent summary of this, see "Fourteen Propaganda Techniques Fox 'News' Uses to Brainwash Americans," by Dr Cynthia Boaz,
• • •
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I hope you enjoyed this piece and welcome your thoughts. Tell me what you like about it, or any other constructive thoughts you want to share. Thanks!